Dexamphetamine effects on prepulse inhibition (PPI) and startle in healthy volunteers.

Rationale: Amphetamine challenge in rodent prepulse inhibition (PPI) studies has been used to model potential dopamine involvement in effects that may be relevant to schizophrenia, though similar studies in healthy humans have failed to report replicable or robust effects.

Objectives: The present study investigated dexamphetamine effects on PPI in healthy humans with an increased dose and a range of startling stimulus intensities to determine participants' sensitivity and range of responses to the stimuli.

Methods: A randomised, placebo-controlled dexamphetamine (0.

Evaluation of radiosurgery techniques--cone-based linac radiosurgery vs tomotherapy-based radiosurgery.

Performances of radiosurgery of intracranial lesions between cone-based Linac system and Tomotherapy-based system were compared in terms of dosimetry and time. Twelve patients with single intracranial lesion treated with cone-based Linac radiosurgery system from 2005 to 2009 were replanned for Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery treatment. The conformity index, homogeneity index (HI), and gradient score index (GSI) of each case was calculated.

The use of background EEG activity to determine stimulus timing as a means of improving rTMS efficacy in the treatment of depression: a controlled comparison with standard techniques.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment of depression utilizes numerous predetermined patterns of stimulation. As an alternative to using invariant stimulus timing parameters, the interactive technique delivers individual stimuli based on the background electroencephalogram (EEG) activity.

Objective: This study examines the use of an EEG-dependent technique as a means to enhance the efficacy of rTMS in the treatment of depression.

Neuroleptic-induced catatonia: clinical presentation, response to benzodiazepines, and relationship to neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

Neuroleptic-induced catatonia (NIC), manifested in an extrapyramidal-catatonic syndrome, has been sporadically reported in the literature. Confusion surrounds its relationship to neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and extrapyramidal reactions to neuroleptics. This study examined (a) its clinical presentation and response to benzodiazepines, (b) the hypothesis that NIC and NMS are on the same spectrum with a continuum of symptom progression, and (c) its possible relationship to extrapyramidal reactions.

Distortion, Orientation, and Translation Corrections of Tiled EMCCD Detectors for the New Solid State X-ray Image Intensifier (SSXII).

We report on the technology of imaging corrections for a new solid state x-ray image intensifier (SSXII) with enhanced resolution and fluoroscopic imaging capabilities, made of a mosaic of modules (tiled-array) each consisting of CsI(Tl) phosphor coupled using a fiber-optic taper or minifier to an electron multiplier charge coupled device (EMCCD). Generating high quality images using this EMCCD tiled-array system requires the determination and correction of the individual EMCCD sub-images with respect to relative rotations and translations as well as optical distortions due to the fiber optic tapers. The image corrections procedure is based on comparison of resulting (distorted) images with the known square pattern of a wire mesh phantom.

Diagnosing subtypes of neuroleptic malignant syndrome: an introduction to the Lee-Carroll Scale.

Background: Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) shares common features with catatonia and serotonin syndrome (SS). For instance, catatonia is a risk factor for the development of NMS.

Methods: We performed a pilot study to examine if the Lee-Carroll Scale is able to differentiate the proposed NMS subtypes and explore possible relationship between NMS and SS.

The detection and measurement of catatonia.

Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome that occurs with primary psychiatric disorders or secondary to general medical conditions. Catatonia is often neglected when screening and examining psychiatric patients. Undiagnosed catatonia can increase morbidity and mortality, illustrating the need to effectively screen patients for presence of catatonia as well as their response to treatment.

Catatonic variants, hyperthermic extrapyramidal reactions, and subtypes of neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

Background: This case series study examines the hypothesis that neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a heterogeneous condition including catatonic variants and non-catatonic pathological reactions to antipsychotics.

Methods: Fourteen episodes of NMS were prospectively identified. Patients were examined for catatonia during the course of NMS.

A histomorphogenic analysis of bone grafts augmented with adult stem cells.

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of bone marrow aspirate added to xenograft or alloplast graft matrix scaffold to produce bone.

Materials: A maximum of 4 cc bone marrow was aspirated from the anterior iliac crest of 5 patients to saturate the matrix scaffold prior to bone graft. Seven graft sites evaluated included sinus lift augmentation, particulate onlay graft of the maxilla via a tunneling procedure, and particulate onlay graft of the maxilla stabilized with titanium mesh.

Intracavity Rayleigh-Mie scattering for multipoint, two-component velocity measurement.

A simultaneous multipoint, two-component Doppler velocimeter is described. The system uses two optical cavities: a Fabry-Perot etalon and an optical cavity for collecting and recirculating the Rayleigh-Mie-scattered light that is collected from the measurement volume in two parallel but opposite directions. Single-pulse measurements of two orthogonal components of the velocity vector in a supersonic free jet were performed to demonstrate the technique.

Clozapine withdrawal catatonia associated with cholinergic and serotonergic rebound hyperactivity: a case report.

Catatonia as a clozapine withdrawal syndrome has not been well documented. There is only 1 case of excited catatonia described with the diagnosis made according to strict criteria. The authors report a patient who developed a catatonic stuporous state following abrupt discontinuation of clozapine, associated with features of cholinergic and serotonergic hyperactivity.

Chronic 'speech catatonia' with constant logorrhea, verbigeration and echolalia successfully treated with lorazepam: a case report.

Logorrhea, verbigeration and echolalia persisted unremittingly for 3 years, with occasional short periods of motoric excitement, in a patient with mild intellectual handicap suffering from chronic schizophrenia. The speech catatonic symptoms, previously refractory to various antipsychotics, responded promptly to lorazepam, a benzodiazepine with documented efficacy in the treatment of acute catatonia but not chronic catatonia. It is suggested that pathways in speech production were selectively involved in the genesis of the chronic speech catatonic syndrome, possibly a rare form of chronic catatonia not previously described.